Zanzibar
Zanzibar wound up on our itinerary because we had 3 nights to fill at the end of our trip due to frequent flyer mile flight scheduling. With such a short amount of time, we opted to stay in Stonetown figuring we’d minimizing driving time, hang by the pool, and wander around the town if we got bored.
Arrival at the Zanzibar airport was a little unusual: there were two lines, one for people with visas and one for those without. We stood in the “have visas” area (because we obtained visas at the consulate in New York) and they just waved us through. No visa check, no passport stamp, nada. We then had to fend off the dozen or so men fighting to carry our luggage – I was very happy to see our pre-arranged transportation waiting for us, and thrilled to discover that their van was air-conditioned! I think this was the first air-conditioning that we experienced in all of East Africa, and it was definitely needed because Zanzibar was HOT, like Africa hot.
The Serena was an air-conditioned oasis in the chaos that is Stonetown. We spent the first night in Room #1, which was on the first floor with a view of a courtyard and the ocean in the distance. We then moved to Room #39 which was on the 3rd floor and had a stunning view of the pool and the Indian Ocean. The bed was draped in mosquito netting, there was a minibar, and also a tv was nice to have so we could follow the rapidly deteriorating situation in Kenya.
The hotel staff, clad in East Indian attire, were friendly and very attentive. We spent one day poolside, and the second day we ventured out Mangapwani, the hotels private beach. The shuttle leaves at 10 and returns at 3, though there were more guests than would fit in the van so we wound up in a taxi by ourselves. This seemed like a good idea, but the driver kept trying to sell us side tours to see the spices. Mangapwani was about 45 minutes away, but about half of the time was spent on a bumpy backroad (banana trees, palm trees, people farming, a man bathing in a spigot, goats, etc.). The end was worth the means though – the beach was AMAZING – completely deserted, white sand, and thatched palapas. There was also a very attentive barman, and a great grilled lunch.
We were supposed to stay three nights, but received a message from our tour operator that we needed to leave early to avoid civil unrest in Nairobi. Departing Zanzibar was frustrating. There was a long line to get in to the airport, so we were already cranky from standing in the blazing sun by the time we reached checkin. The departure tax needed to be paid in USD, but the ATM’s only dispensed Shillings. On the approach to Nairobi, we could see the fires in Kibera, and the airport was absolute chaos. Most of the terminal was without power, and there were massive crowds of people trying to get a flight, any flight, out of the country. We weren’t in any danger, but it was definitely uncomfortable.
